He doesn’t sound happy about it. I’m not either. But, well, we’ve got no choice but to do this anyway and pull it off, too.
21
Nikolas
Iexpectedthis.IfAndras and the Crimson Crew Clan are as powerful as Isidoro has made them out to be, then it’s no surprise we’ll be starting this operation without all the information we need.
“Don’t worry about it,” Tommy says, beating me to it. “Niko and I got this. We’ll get you Andras, make you a king, and then you’ll get the Crew off our backs.”
My adorable devil. Even in times like this, he’s not freaking out or losing it or begging me to leave him with Isidoro because he’s too scared. No, that’s not what Tommy is like. He’s the opposite in fact, ready to jump into the fray, even when no one in their right mind would.
I love this man.
Unable to stop myself, I kiss his head. “You heard the boss, Isi. We got this. You just make sure you hold your end of the deal.”
Isidoro places his hand on his chest and the other one on Tommy’s shoulder. “Of course, dear friends. I would never lie to you or cross you. You know that.”
I do, but then again, being the king of vampires wasn’t really ever on the table. Still, my gut tells me Isidoro is a good man, or vampire, that he values our friendship and he won’t try to screw me over.
We hang out in the SUV until the first guests arrive. Two security guards scan their invitations, working quickly and efficiently so as not to let a queue form. Unless you knew it was happening, you wouldn’t suspect a bunch of billionaires and vampires were gathering for a fancy ball here today.
“Okay. It’s time,” Isidoro says.
The driver twists around and hands him a ring box. Isidoro opens it and holds out the black ring to me. “Just in case. If things go south and you need us to storm in and crash the party, press and twist. It will send an alert to my phone.”
I put on the ring and nod. “Understood.” Then I grin. “Hopefully, it won’t come to that.”
Isidoro smiles. “Hopefully. Good luck.”
“Okay,Charlie,” I say as we exit the vehicle and watch it drive away. I know Isidoro will be somewhere close by, but it’s best not to be too close in case someone gets an idea. “It’s showtime. I hope you are ready.”
Tommy loops his arm through mine, showing off his brightest smile. “You bet,Anthony. Let’s kidnap us an evil vampire king.”
We pass the security check with no issue. They collect our invitations, check our IDs and let us inside the glass high-rise. From there, staff ties a leather cord around our wrists and accompanies us in the elevator to the penthouse, where the Gala is held.
“Thank you again for attending. Please enjoy yourselves,” they wish us as the doors of the elevator whoosh closed.
Music pulsates throughout the wide corridor which culminates in an ornate wooden door. Or doors, as there are two of them. On one side of the carpeted hallway,the cream walls are decorated with impressive paintings, while on the other, marble sculptures sit on pedestals.
“Hi, welcome,” the woman standing by the doors says before she opens them.
Immediately inside is a cloakroom, where staff are buzzing about sorting out coats and jackets. They take ours and pour us each a glass of champagne from an expensive-looking bottle. Tommy simply frowns at it, but I take a sip, loving the way the bubbly liquid trickles down my throat.
“Mask on, and let’s go,” I say, donning mine.
Once Tommy has his on too, we enter the heart of the penthouse. The room, which must be a parlor of some kind, is huge, with glass-to-ceiling windows and heavy drapes. A grand staircase leads to a second floor which crests the space on three sides with gilded railing. The high ceiling above us is painted like a church, and it even culminates in a dome. I’ve never quite seen anything like this, but I also have only visited two of Isidoro’s five mansions.
“Wow, they sure spared no expense here,” Tommy comments, eyes wide as he takes in the opulent furniture, the posh buffet, the string quartet and pianist playing on the stage by the windows, the rich and richest mingling around.
It’s not my first rodeo, so for me it’s easier to look past the superficial. But it’s his first time at an event like this, so I can understand how it can be both impressive and a little overwhelming.
“Can I go grab some food before we hunt down our target?” Tommy bats his long eyelashes at me. “Please?”
I study the table with finger foods, small cake bites, and scrumptious fruit bowls. Why the hell not? It’s not likeAndras will make an appearance before all his guests have arrived.
“Sure. Just don’t overdo it on the sugar. You’ll be no good to me if you pass out from a food coma,” I warn him, looping an arm around his waist as I herd him toward the table.
“I’ll be careful, I promise.”
